Nail file construction



March 4, 1941. H. TROYA 2,233,438

NAIL FILE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 7, 1939 H/qee/s, 705cm F05 TE/P & HARE/S F019 THE HEM A rro EN; Y5.

Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED. STATES PATENT; OFFICE NAIL ma cons'rnucrron Henry Troya, Glendale, Calif. Application April 7, 1939, Serial No. 266,499 4 Claims. (o1. lea-16.4)

My invention relates to a file construction, and more particularly to such a construction for shaping finger nails.

It is an object of my invention to provide a '5 file construction for filing and shaping the free end of a finger nail without sharp edges and convex in cross-section instead of fiat, thus eliminating the necessity of using an emery board or other auxiliary device after the filing action to make the nail edge convex in cross-section.

In the use of the conventional nail file, in which the filing surface is a plane surface, the teeth, burs or abrasive particles provided upon the filing surface are apt to file the finger or to slip on the nail edge so that its edge cuts the finger adjacent the nail. It is an object of my invention to provide a file construction of the class described, so formed as to eliminate all possibility of the finger adjacent or beneath the nail being abraded during the filing action, or cut by the slipping of the file on the nail edge.

' In the use of the conventional fiat file it is necessary that the angular relationship of the finger i and the longitudinal axis of the file be continually changed as the file is drawn across the nail, in

order to prevent the edge of the nail being filed into a fiat outline as contrasted with a curved outline. nate this necessity by providing a file construc- 30 tion so shaped that as it is drawn across the nail,

' the angular relation of the finger and the longitudlnal aids of the file being fixed, different portions of the curved edge of the nail are subjected to equal filing actions.

.35 Another object of my invention is to provide a file construction so shaped that for a nail having a free edge of a given degree of curvature, a substantial portion, in some cases amounting to approximately one-half of the free edge of the 40 nail, may be uniformly filed throughout its extent by drawing the file across the edge of the nail while maintaining constant the angular relationship of the finger and the longitudinal axis of the file; 45 Further objects and advantages of my invention will be made evident in the following specification, which may be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of my invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified embodiment of my invention, illustrating its use;

It is an object of my invention to elimi- Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only, the numeral H indicates a file body which may be suitably secured in any 5 desired handle l2. As is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the file body ,II is curved or concave in cross-section transversely of the file body, providingv a. concave surface IS.

The concave surface 13 is provided with an 1 abrasive or filing means, comprising teeth or burs integral with the file body I I or abrasive particles such, for example, as particles of carborundum, emery, glass or the like, of suitable size and shape secured thereto, forming thereon an abrasive or filing surface I4, This abrasive surface It is not exposed on the free edges of the file body I] As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the file ll may be curved longitudinally to provide one concavity l5 and one convexity l6. If the line indicated by the numeral ll of Fig. l, which is drawn midway between the convex and concave portions of the filing surface [4 be regarded as the longitudinal axis of this surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the file body I I, it will be seen that the filing surface It includes portions sloped in opposite directions relative to this axis.

The concavity of the surface I3 is tapered adjacent the free end of the file II to provide aflattened end portion l 8 of substantially the same thickness as the body H, and thewidth of the file body H is diminished to make the end portion I8 pointed. The teeth, burs or abrasive particles are removed from this end portion I8 to .provide a smooth surface thereon, indicated by the numeral I9 01 Fig. 2.

In use the finger may be held stationary at an angle with the longitudinal axis of the file body II, with the edge of the nail in contact with the I abrasive or filing surface I4, and the filing surface II is drawn along the nail edge. The file may be reciprocated parallel to the longitudinal 'axis II, with the finger so angularly positioned relative to the longitudinal axis I! that the portion of the concavity 15 of the file body ll nearest to the handle l2, indicated by the numeral 20, will contact the edge of the nail adjacent the side of the nail. As the file body H is drawn across the nail, this portion of the nail edge will be filed or abraded.

The angular relation of the finger and file body ll remains fixed as the file is moved until that portion of the concavity l5 being more distant from the handle II, as indicated by the numeral 2|, comes in contact with and files the curved edge of the nail nearer to the center of the nail. As the travel of the file body II is continued and that portion of the file body ll between the concavity l5 and the pointed end l8 contacts the edge of the nail, it will be seen that'the portion of this curved edge which is contacted and therefore filed and abraded is again the portion near the side of the nail.

Thus, as the file is drawn across the edge of the nail, while the ,angular relation of the finger and file body I I remains constant, the portion of the nail edge'being subjected to the filing action is constantly changing, with the result that a substantial portion of the curved nail edge is subjected to a filing action with each stroke of the file and each increment of this curved portion of the nail edge is subjected to an equal filing action.

The extent of the curved portion of the nai edge subjected to the filing action by one stroke of the file body across the nail edge, under the conditions described, is dependent upon the degres of curvature of the concavity l5 and convexity l6 of the file body II and the filing or abrasive surface I 4.

As the file bcdy H travels across the edge of the nail, in the manner described, a free edge of the file body extends between the nail and the finger. This free edge, indicated by the numeral 22 of Fig. 4, is not covered by the abrasive surface H and is smooth. Therefore, the finger which it'engages is subjected to no filing action and all possibility of injuring the finger by filing it is eliminated. Furthermore, the reception of this free edge 22 between the nafl and the finger guides the file body II and prevents it from slipping from the nail edge against the finger in a manner to injure the finger.

The curvature of the abrasive or filing surface H which contacts the nail edge, insures that the nail will be cut or filed so that it is convex in cross-section, thus preventing the formation of any sharp edge on the nail during the filing action.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a file body 23 of construction similar to that of the file body ll, previously described, except'that it is provided with a plurality of concavities 24 and convexities 25- the nail is in contact with that portion of the filing surface which slopes upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, a portion 29 of the nail edge adjacent its middle is subjected to a filing action; and as the nail edge contacts the filing surface, iltlustrated in Fig. 3 as sloping downwardly, a portion 30 of the nafl edge issubjected to the filing action. Thus, if desired, the abrasive or filing surface may be so formed, that approximately one-half of the free edge of the nail is subjected to the filing actionduring one stroke of the file body 23 across the nafl.

The file body 23 may be provided with a pointed smooth end 3| like the end I! of the file body ll previously described. The'pointed ends I8 and 3| may be employed to remove any foreign matter from between the nail and the finger, the absence of abrasives or filing surfaces upon these pointed ends l8 and II eliminatin any possibility of filing the finger during thi operation. 4 While in the embodiments of my file construction illustrated and described, I have shown the convexities and concavities as having regular degrees of curvature, the file body may be formed, with the filing surfaces sloping in opposite directions having difierent degrees. of curvature to accommodate diflerent shapes of nail edges. For example, the filing surface illustrated in Fig. 3 as sloping upwardly maybe made with considerably greater degree of curvature than the filing surface illustrated in Fig. 3 as sloping downwardly. Likewise, if desired, the abrasive surface I may be eliminated upon that portion of the concave surface l3 immediately adjacent the free edges thereof.

While those embodiments ofmy invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, are fully capable of performing the objects and providing the advantages primarily stated, there are various embodiments likewise capable of performing these objects, and providing these advantages, including, but not restricted to those just described, and I therefore wish my invention to be understood as not restricted to those specific embodiments shown and'described therein.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a finger nafl file, a combination of: a file body; thereof, said surfacecomprising a longitudinally directed concavity and a longitudinally directed convexity.

2. In a finger nail file, the combination of: a file body; and abrasive means on one surface thereof, said surface being curved to provide and abrasive means on a surface a plurality of concavities longitudinally directed therein and a convexity connecting adjacent concavities.

3. As an article of manufacture, a file body having filing means on a surface thereof, said surface being concave in transverse cross-section and curved longitudinally to provide a plurality of concavities and a convexity connecting adjacent concavities.

4. As an article of manufacture, a file'body having filing means on a surface thereof, said HENRY TROYA. 

